Replacement
by AA Battery
Summary: The gang expects Marian to be someone that she can never be. Spoilers 2.8: One Shot.


Well I actually wrote this immediatly after seeing Season 2, Episode 8 (Where's Carter?- I believe...) but forgot to get it up on this site... in fact I have a bunch of those that I'm just now finding and working to get up...

Anyway- it's just a short one shot, but I hope you enjoy it!

**Replacement**

There was the quickest flash of relief as Robin led Marian in the camp that he hadn't quite identified at the time. Or at least, he didn't understand why it was there. Much never opened his mouth that it was too dangerous, John greeted her with a hug, Djaq waved, and even Will granted her a wide smile in welcome. He had taken it as a good sign- Marian would fit right in. There would be no problem.

He didn't really notice that the gang was glancing at her during dinner, as if expected to hear a voice from the spot she had taken. He didn't observe this because he found himself expecting her to tell some wild tale as well. He saw Will almost invite her to go hunting, Much teased her once without thinking about it and then had to blush and try to explain without truly explaining as she took offense too easily. Robin thanked his lucky stars that he caught himself before ordering her to go check the traps. But still- she was a sixth person. That's all that mattered.

And as the afternoon faded into evening, she did seem to slide into their open spot. She did tell a story about a younger Robin after some not-so-subtle hints from Djaq. She didn't go hunting with Will, but she tried to teach John how to throw knives. She ended up insulting Much in retaliation and Robin laughed, managed to agree with her and mend Much's feelings by twisting it into a light joke. By the end of the night, spirits were higher than they had been in what seemed like an eternity. Night fell, unknown, during a long talk by the fire and laughing, Robin ordered his gang to bed.

They had the extra bedroll and it was almost as if the symmetry of the camp righted itself as she settled down in the once vacant spot next to Will. The gap was filled with a body and Robin hadn't realized how much that space was bothering him until he saw it closed. Maybe everyone else felt the same way, for the mood grew still lighter almost immediately- there were more smiles, a bout of laughter for no apparent reason and then everyone stretched and settled down in a slightly exaggerated fashion, as if this would be the first good sleep they had in a while- because the space was filled up. Everything was right again.

Of course, then Marian had stretched and complained that her legs were ramming into the wall. She did nothing but roll closer to Robin, forcing Much to slide back in the process, stretch again, sigh in contentment and begin to fall into sleep again- but suddenly Robin could tell everyone was thinking the same thing: Allan used to sleep curled up around himself- he didn't need as much room as Marian. And just like that the painful, stubborn anger returned to the camp. John grunted and swiped his hand at nothing, Djaq sighed a small quiet sigh to herself and Will looked stricken for a moment before turning over angrily, his back stiff and tense. Much had caught his bottom lip between his teeth, eyes full of concern and worry.

And now, lying there, staring at the canopy of trees overhead, Robin realized that that flash of relief in the beginning was not for her safety- not really. It was relief that there was a sixth member, hope that she would take the place of someone they couldn't admit they missed, belief that she could make the pain go away.

But she couldn't. She couldn't be Djaq's dumb older brother, John's overly playful son, Much's somewhat-friendly nemesis, Will's best friend. She couldn't be the trickster, the storyteller and the complainer; couldn't somehow be cynical and invincible. She didn't grin when she was scared, or smile when she lied and her eyes didn't glitter when she found something especially funny. She didn't beam at Will when he smiled or tickle Djaq when she tried to be serious or gaze at Robin with that totally innocent expression. She would never punch anyone who tried to wake her up, or throw the caught rabbits on Much's head while he slept, or convince Will to try and catch a squirrel with her. Moving to pat her on the back when she wasn't expecting it wouldn't cause her to flinch; praising her wouldn't cause her to shuffle uncomfortably; speaking of family wouldn't cause her to look down and go silent.

Lying there, feeling oddly claustrophobic on the side that Marian crowded him, and oddly unprotect by his feet where Much had once slept, Robin realized with an awful certainty that Marian couldn't be the replacement they had hoped for. She couldn't be the sixth member of the gang. She couldn't fill any gap or plug any hole. She couldn't be what this gang was truly missing.

Marian could never, never be Allan.

**End.**

Well, that's it- hope you enjoyed it and I would love for you to leave a review! :)

Have a nice day!


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